FOR THE MAJORITY of my life, my understanding of epilepsy was shaped by my media consumption.

The first on-screen depictions of seizures and epilepsy that I witnessed were in the Simpsons episode where they visit Japan, David Platt’s epilepsy diagnosis in Coronation Street and the drama that the condition fuelled to drive the plots on medical shows like Grey’s Anatomy.

Earlier this year, I was diagnosed with the condition and realised that there are many misconceptions about epilepsy, largely due to the simplistic framing of the condition in film and television. The depiction is likely limited and sensationalised because absence seizures (brief lapses of consciousness) don’t make for very exciting TV.

Off-screen, there are some basics regarding epilepsy that most of us know: Firstly, driving is not allowed until you have gone a year without a seizure and received sign-off from your doctor. This can be very disappointing and alienating for people who rely on driving for work, socialising and day-to-day tasks like getting groceries.

It wasn’t until I was diagnosed that I realised the extent of how limiting the driving ban is, but it was also then that I learned of the fantastic work that Epilepsy Ireland has undertaken to campaign for people who experience seizures.

As a result of Epilepsy Ireland’s work, the Free Travel Scheme was decoupled from Disability Allowance and Invalidity Pension, providing free public transport to people who cannot drive as a result of an epilepsy diagnosis. It was an important step to alleviate one of the most challenging aspects of the condition, supporting the continuation of employment and socialising (to........

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